Assisi

Waking up early should be illegal. 

We had to wake up at 7 am to be at school at 8 am when the bus left for Assisi Italy. 

It took about 2 hours and 15 minutes by bus to Assisi. It was gloomy but we were excited, we didn't know what was in Assisi yet, but still excited. 

Once we arrived a rainbow greeted us, kissing the hill top where this beautiful city of Assisi stood. When I say this town was beautiful, that doesn't even cut it. There are no words. We were visiting the Beautiful church of Basilica Saint Francis of Assisi. 

Yes, that is tonic water...without vodka. I was a little bus sick so with the absence of Gingerale in all of italy and my friends opinions, I drank tonic water out of a straw and took a selfie in front of the church with it like I worked for Schweppes. It made me feel a lot better so I could enjoy Assisi. 

This photo only shows one entrance to the church. This church is one building but there are two separate churches within it. We walked in and paintings cover the walls. We learned the stories behind them. 

Saint Francis was a wild guy, as our lecturer Rocky (who looked and talked  EXACTLY like our family friend Noam) stated that Francis liked fast cars, women and money. Then he performed miracles and became a Saint. To become a Saint you need to perform at least two miracles. Francis performed dozens, he was often compared to Jesus. There were Franciscans there with brown robes with white rope tied around their waists. These ropes had three knots on them. These knots represent the three promises these people promise.  They pledge obediance, chastity and poverty. They literally give up everything and dedicate themselves to Francis and the Church. Pretty impressive, I respect that. 

Most of the paintings are called Frescos which are paintings on "fresh" meaning wet plaster. These are meant for a day's work, meaning you can only work on them while the plaster is wet. So it is a patch kind of work. These paintings were so detail oriented. I wanted to take a picture but it is disrespectful. We also went downstairs where St. Francis's tomb is, which was REALLY cool. Not sure if he's actually in there but still.  We also learned about Mary Magdaline. She was apparently a prostitute. 

My roommate Juliana is Catholic and all her life she went to the St. Francis of Assisi church in Auburn, NY. It was really cool for her to visit the real one. That's like going to the real Temple Sinai for me. One day. 

We went to the other church inside the Basilica St. Francis. If the word Basilica is in front of the church's name, that means that there is something significant there. So St. Francis' tomb was there, that's important. 

Funny story about this other church above the first one we went into. On the walls there are fresco paintings like a movie reel telling the story about St. Francis, which was awesome. Rocky told us the story painting by painting. This may sound like it would be boring but the way Rocky explained it, it made it more interesting and meaningful. So funny story. Could anyone tell me what is happening in this painting?

That's what Rocky asked us.... Of course I raise my hand...And I said "flying a kite?" Everyone laughed. Fortunately, Rocky laughed and said I wasn't the first person to say that, that made me feel a lot better....NOT. LOL. it was funny. 

Anyways, in this painting Francis recovering the stigmata. Which are holes in his hand to feel the pain that Jesus felt. That represents connection to Jesus.  Kind of disturbing but interesting. 

Fun fact: Francis is the Saint of animals. 

All in all, the church was beautiful. Disclaimer: I am still Jewish and always will be!  But it is really cool to learn about the art in these churches. 

We got done learning around 1. So we had until 3:45 to roam. We had lunch at this amazing restaurant. I got this Truffle Raviloi tortellini dish. MMMMM... 

 

After lunch we explored. These were the CUTEST streets. 

Jaime has a GoPro which is clutch for this trip. These views were breath taking. Pictures do not do it justice. Jul is on the left, then Glo is throwing up the peace sign, Jaime is holding the GoPro then there's Alex. These are my friends (:  

When we got home Jul and I went to dinner and shared a bottle of amazing white wine. 

We finished the bottle, just the two of us. Haha #wheninFlorence

We had the best time in Assisi! Now we are off to Ravenna. I'm typing this on the bus, surprisingly I'm not nauseous. 

Stay tuned. 

WORD OF THE DAY: fork

Forchetta 

 

FIORENTINA!!!

We went to a soccer game tonight! 

On the way there it my friends and I stopped at a bar and got a glass of white wine. I forget the name at the moment but it was amazing. For 6 Euro we had the wine and a bunch of appetizers on a buffet. So cheap! I was stuffed and got to taste a bunch of different dishes. On the way to the game we had to gear up and fit into the crowd. They had a stand outside the stadium that had a bunch of scarves and memorabilia. My friends and I each got the same scarf. I learned here that if you don't have the exact change that's okay, as long as you get close to the price. 

After eating we went to the ticket counter where we asked for "tickets with the supporters." Jasmina told us this is where we should go because it's where all the crazy people are. We figured, why not that's why we're in Firenze. The tickets were a whoping 5 Euro. The funny thing is, it was cheaper than the scarf!  

Once we got into the stadium it was crazy, people going wild and excited about the game. We were loving it. We grabbed a Peroni and headed to the seats. 

The game was against Atalanta. We won 3-1. Something EPIC happened at this game, Mario Gomez scored twice. This is important because he hasn't scored in a while says Lorenzo and Jasmina.

We met Lorenzo's daughter when we got home. She seems nice! 

I am starting a new thing per Grandy's request. WORD OF THE DAY! 

phrase of the day: Come ti chiami? Mi chiamo Emily. 

Meaning: What is your name? My name is...

arrivaderchi! Emodz

First Days of Classes!

It has been chilly here on the first days of classes.  Today it was the same temperature as Cuse....34 degrees.
When I look out the window it is really nice to see pretty buildings and the piazza.  I try to get a seat near the window so I can look out every once in a while.  That is why I am in Florence right?

Classes I am taking:

Managing in a Global Setting: My teacher is really enthusiastic about teaching, for homework we have to "digest the class and tell him why we are taking it"...It was required for me so I don't know what to say. I think I will like this class though. We get to work in groups and think about companies that would work well here that we already have in the U.S.  I was thinking maybe Uber or Zipcar? 

Italian 101: Antonella is an amazing teacher.  We have Italian every day Monday through Thursday, it won't be too bad with her.  She engages with the class, we had to go around and ask everyone their name and where they are from in Italian.  It was awkward but necessary. We already had homework and it was only the second day! Practice makes perfect.  #amiright?

Econ: 3 hours of torture... haha JK, it wasn't that bad.  But three hours on a Monday night will be hard to keep my attention.  It is only once a week though, and it should get fun once we start our projects.  We are learning about European Integration. Should be interesting.

History of Art; Antiquities to Michelangelo: Every Tuesday is in the classroom and every Thursday we meet out in Florence somewhere.  Actually being able to see the real art we are learning about is going to be a great experience.   Our teacher uses old slides, apparently her husband invented the slide?  I have never had a class that uses this machine or the slides.  See picture below. Old School!

 Italian Mafia: Awesome Professor and awesome course.  We learned about how the mafia came about, they were known as the "tough guys" because the state was so messed up that if you got your wallet stolen, for example, you couldn't go to the police.  You would hire a tough guy to handle it for you. A field trip to Sicily for a weekend is required for this class.  During this field trip we will spend time actually working on the farms with farmers for a day and learn first hand about the anti-mafia movement. I should've brought my overalls....haha. Stay tuned.

All in all, it has been a good first two days of classes!

xoxo,
Emily

Exploration

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." -T.S. Elliot

Saturday was our first day of freedom.  It was a gloomy day in Florence, chilly but that didn't hold us back.  We woke up and had our usual breakfast of toast with nutella, bananas, and coffee.  While trying to get to know the streets of Florence we stumbled upon a flea market with the cutest clothes on Via della Mattonaia.  Of course we looked around, Jul found a European looking coat and a sweater.  As we were taking our findings around the market without paying yet, thinking we were at Lord and Taylor or something, a security man looked at us and motioned toward one of the store owners as if we were stealing.I quickly grabbed Jul and we headed back to where we found the clothes, Jul purchased her amazing jacket and we continued through the market, without getting arrested for stealing. (haha)  This flea market happens every Saturday, I am definitely taking my mom there!

After exploring some more, we met our other friends Nichole, Emily and Morgan for lunch at Osteria Il Gatto E la Volpe (per Nichole's friend's suggestion).  IT WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD.  I ordered Florentine pizza that had meats, olives and peppers on it.  10 out of 10.  If pizza tastes like this all around Italy then I am going to come back 15 pounds heavier.  The rest of the table ordered different kinds of pasta, Nichole ordered this walnut cream sauce ravioli which was delicious in a different way, something I have never tasted before.  Jul ordered this four cheese gnocchi which tasted heavenly.  OK, all the food here is amazing, I will never be satisfied in the U.S. again :(.

 

After lunch we wandered around the different piazzas.  We saw gypsies with their faces painted white blowing kisses and asking tourists for money. They are disturbing looking. We went across the Ponte Vecchio and found San Spirito where we had gelato.  The other side of the river is quieter, more residential and less touristy.  I think I am going to go running over there at some point.  

While walking back home, we saw the sunset on the river.  Sunsets in Florence are priceless.  

Spaghetti was for dinner with mozzarella and tomatoes, I was still full from lunch so I could not finish dinner. After dinner we met Gloria and Jamie out at Muerte which means "these walls".  This bar was an old prison where Italians usually go to hang out.  While ordering a drink, the bartender started speaking Italian to me.  I looked at him with a blank face and then he realized I was American.  He said "OMG! You look so Italian"........but I am a jewish girl from Blue Bell...LOL I took the compliment(?).  

Dirty Shirley temple

We wandered around Florence and noticed there were a lot of people out on a Saturday night, hanging in the piazzas, drinking, and having a good time.  It was really fun to see everyone out and it was even more fun kind of knowing where we were going.  

 

This morning we had brunch with Lorenzo and Jasmina.  Jasmina made eggs, bacon, sausage(tasted like a hot dog), ham and cheese grilled cheese, brownie pear cake thing, pancakes, fruit, coffee, and juice.  Everything was delicious, they call this meal a 'holiday' meal because usually their breakfasts are so small. Today we are exploring FLorence with Jasmina and Lorenzo which I am exicted about! They know where they are going.  Stay tuned!! 

 

Love, Emily

CHICKEN PARM

The first night we had dinner I told Lorenzo and Jasmina about my favorite food in the entire world which is Chicken Parm...they never heard of it. So I explained what it was to them and they learned something new! Turns out, it is an Italian American dish. :(

Tonight, Jasmina made CHICKEN PARM!!!! I was ecstatic. They are so nice and welcoming, I was the happiest.  It was so good. It was no Serafina Chicken PARM but it was amazing!! 

I feel so at home and comfortable. 

P.S attached is a picture of them cleaning the streets. 

End of Orientation

Finally, all the orientation chores are over.  This weekend is the full immersion weekend where we explore Florence and have a day with our families. Jasmina said she and Lorenzo will take us to the Piazza Michelangelo which is where we can view the whole city of Florence.  Apparently the best time to go is at sunset.
Last night we all went out into the center of Florence.  Finding bars, pubs and clubs are hard here, clubs are tucked in on a side street and you need to know where the bars are located.  After hours of exploring the city we found an American bar which was awesome, called the Red Garter.  Here we had a few drinks and sang Blank Space by Taylor Swift on the karaoke stage. Unfortunately, we got cut off 3/4 of the way through...
After the bar we found this amazing secret bakery and ordered nutella croissants. They were warm, fresh out of the oven and TO DIE FOR.  Jasmina made tortellini with Parmesan last night with salad with fresh peppers, feta and tomatoes.

We registered for classes today.  I am taking Italian 101, The Italian Mafia, Economics in Europe, Management in a Global Setting and History of Art: Antiquity to Michelangelo.  Solid Schedule!
I am very happy with my classes and I can't wait to start.



More differences:
- They do not pick up their dog's poop... so you have to watch where you step on the sidewalk.
- You cannot hail a taxi, you must call and wait.
- They clean the streets here every night, kind of like down the shore where you have to move your cars to the opposite side of the street to clean.  In the center, the streets are so small they wash them!
- Cars park anywhere they can.  Parking is scarce.
-Dogs can come in to resteraunts, even dogs that can be mistaken for bears..(see picture)
-Tomatoes taste sweet and so delish compared to home.--Dad you will love them.
-Italians do not use salt in their bread.  (reason? TBA)
 Florence vocab:
bar- a cafe, place where you can get a sandwich and drink: It also means what it means in America.

Jasmina and Lorenzo

We met our host family today! We requested Jasmina and Lorenzo and we got them! We were apparently the first to request, because they were a very popular family. Jasmina is from Macedonia, a small place near Yugoslavia and Lorenzo is from Florence! Their English is perfect. We are supposed to meet Lorenzo's mother this weekend. Jasmina says she brings food with her. "Food is very important to Italians" 

I second that! 

Jasmina walked us back from campus to her and Lorenzo's home which is not even a ten minute walk. This works out great because we won't have to wake up too early before classes. The elevators to get to their apartment were tiny. 

They are both amazing. We had chicken, potatoes and salad for dinner. For desert we had panna fresca which means fresh heavy cream. I would describe it as a pudding jello with melted chocolate on top. After dinner we learned how to use the door. All in all, dinner was a hit! 

Their doors have a vault like lock as well as a regular lock. I feel safe. 

SUF is beautiful. The Villa Rosa is so nice as well as the courtyard. Tomorrow we will see more of the classrooms and inside the school.

Jules is my roomie, she's awesome. 

Day 1: Florence!

Today is our first day in Florence. Yesterday we traveled from JFK airport to Zurich airport to Florence. SwissAir was amazing, they offered new releases on the plane, which was really nice. I watched Boyhood on the plane. It was about six and a half hours. 

Once we got to Florence we took a bus to the hotel Mediterraneo.  The hotel was beautiful.  The weather is warm, around 50 degrees and sunny!

When we got to the hotel we went on a walking tour through Florence.

 The city is like a dream. The cobblestone roads and the tiny back streets are to die for. There are many different piazzas. These are huge courtyards where people go to hang out. One of them had a carousel. We got gelato, it was heavenly. I got nuetella and caramello.  Yum. 

Mom and Dad, I was told there was an amazing steak restaurant called Francesco. Here they have an amazing cut of steak, Dad you will love it! I added it to the list of places im going to take you and we are only one day in haha!

After our walk, we came back to the hotel and then had dinner. Dinner was amazing, chicken, pasta, potatoes, and green beans.  

Difference I've noticed so far:

-Naturale or Fizz water. Water is not free. All the water here is in glass bottles and tastes good. There is regularly water and fizzy water--Jordyn and Grandy would love it here because they love sparkling water. 

-The beds are tiny! 

- Sitting charges- it is twice as expensive if you would like to sit and eat at a cafe. If you stand at the bar and eat the meal will be cheaper than if you sit. You will not be bothered when you sit, so if you want to sit and eat for 5 hours you can. No one will bother you, but you spend more. 

We are meeting our host families today! Stay tuned. 

The Morning Of..

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to my travel blog! Here I will post pictures and my travel adventures. I am so excited to start this journey to Italy today. I am so grateful for this opportunity. Thank you Mom and Dad for giving me the world.

The weather here is icy and raining. The forecast in Italy tomorrow is 58 degrees, basically shorts weather if you ask me. Thank you for reading.

Emily